Chair base ganging fixture

ABSTRACT

A chair base comprising front and rear legs is provided with braces connecting the rear with the front legs at each side of the chair base, the two braces being applied in mutually reversed positions. Each brace has a keyhole slot near one end and a headed peg near the other, the peg being detachably receivable into the complementary slot of a corresponding brace of the next adjacent chair base.

United States Patent Philip J. Hendrlckson;

Richard J. Resch, both of Green Bay, Wis. 838,153

July 1, 1969 Nov. 16, 1971 Krueger Metal Products, Inc.

Green Bay, Wis.

Inventors App]. No. Filed Patented Assignee CHAIR BASE GANGING FIXTURE 1Claim, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 297/248, 108/64 Int. Cl. A47: l/l24 297/248; 108/64; 5/299;287/103 A [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,941,652 l/1934Bellavia 297/248 3,009,738 11/1961 Piker 297/248 3,018,131 1/1962Krueger 297/248 3,084,977 4/1963 Chapman 297/248 3,127,218 3/1964 Banke297/248 3,227,487 1/1966 Blanchard 297/248 Primary Examiner Francis K.Zugel Attorney-Wheeler, House & Wheeler ABSTRACT: A chair basecomprising front and rear legs is provided with braces connecting therear with the front legs at each side of the chair base, the two bracesbeing applied in mutually reversed positions. Each brace has a keyholeslot near one end and a headed peg near the other, the peg beingdetachably receivable into the complementary slot of a correspondingbrace of the next adjacent chair base.

CHAIR BASE GANGING FIXTURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A variety ofinterlocking devices are known for the ganging of chairs and chairbases. The instant device has the merit of simplicity and reducedexpense, since it merely modifies and uses brace parts required in anyevent in the construction of the chair base.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Braces conventionally used to connect front andrear legs in the manufacture of a chair base are made to serve addedfunctions for ganging purposes. This is accomplished by ofi'settingoutwardly the intermediate portion of each brace and by providing theoutwardly offset brace portion with a keyhole slot at one end and aheaded pin at the other end. When the braces are applied at the sides ofa chair base, they are necessarily in mutually reversed positions sothat the headed pin of each brace is detachably engageable in thekeyhole slot of the corresponding brace of the next chair. Engagementand disengagement is executed very simply and easily by relativevertical movement. To prevent injury to persons and clothing, each braceis preferably provided between its slot and pin with horizontal ribswhich project approximately as far from the brace surface as does thehead of the pin. These ribs reinforce the brace both above and below thecentral opening and have the additional protective function aforesaid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS HFIG. l is a view in perspective of apair of chair bases in ganged connection, portions of one of them beingbroken away.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the braces on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 shows two of the connected braces in ganging connection as viewedin section on the level indicated at 3-3 in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION By way of exemplifying the invention, I haveselected a pair of bases such as are commonly used to support bucketseats of fiber glass or the like. No seats are shown, since they have norelation to the disclosure of the invention. When used, the seat iscommonly supported by spaced straps such as are shown at 6 and 8 inFlG.1.

Leg elements 12 and 14 comprise legs and 22, which are respectivelydivergent forwardly and rearwardly from the generally parallel bars 16and 18. The bar 16 integrally connects the legs 20 at one side of thebase. The bar 18 integrally connects the legs 22 at the opposite side ofthe base. The straps 6 and 8 which support the seat are secured bywelding or otherwise to the generally horizontal bars 16 and 18.

The invention is particularly concerned with the braces 30 which connectthe legs 20 and 22 at each side of the chair base. Each of the braces 30comprises an elongated piece of sheet metal having its ends welded at 32and 34 to the respective legs and having its intermediate portion ofisetoutwardly from the plane of the legs at 36 and 38. The inten'nediateportion 40 of the brace member 30 is thus parallel to the plane of thelegs but bodily ofiset outwardly therefrom.

To reduce the weight of the brace, it has an opening at 42 in the offsetportion 40. There are generally horizontal strengthening ribs 44 and 46above and below the opening 42. The rib 46 has an additional protectivefunction hereinafter described.

Beyond the end of the rib 46, the brace portion 40 is provided withkeyhole slot 48. Near the opposite end of the rib 46, the brace portion40 has a pin 50 provided with a head 52. The head 52 will pass freelythrough the larger part 54 of the keyhole slot of a comparable brace,but will not pass through the restricted portion 56 of the keyhole slotin which the shank of the pin 50 may be engaged. In order to apply saidbraces to the opposite sides of the c air base, it is necessary that oneof the respective braces be turned end-for-end. This automaticallybrings the pin 50 of each brace to a position opposite the keyhole slot48 of the companion brace. Thus the pin registers with the slot in thebrace at the end of the next successive chair base 10 as clearly shownin FIGS. 1 and 3.

It will be observed moreover that the rib 46 of each of the braces 30terminates immediately adjacent the heat portion 52 of the pin or studwhich projects through the keyhole slot 48. As shown in FIG. 3, thisgives a substantial measure of protection against injury to persons orclothing, when the chairs are ganged in the manner shown.

The tongues 58 integral with respective braces are used for stackingpurposes and are shown despite the view that the present application isdirected to ganging. In use, the stacking tongues 58 rest upon portionsof the legs of an underlying chair base.

We claim:

1. A chair base comprising a pair of leg elements comprising laterallyspaced legs respectively at opposite sides of the chair base andintegrally connected by top bars, the said elements and the legs thereofbeing inclined toward each other, means connecting the bars of saidelements, the legs at each side of the chair base being mutuallydivergent, braces connecting the divergent legs of the respectiveelements at the sides of the chair base, each such brace comprising alongitudinally elongated member having its ends attached to thedivergent legs of respective elements, each brace having between itssaid attached ends an intermediate portion offset laterally outwardlyfrom the chair base and provided with a horizontally elongated rib, theinterrnediate portion of the brace having adjacent one end of the saidrib an upright keyhole slot and at the other end of said rib, a pinprovided with a head receivable into the wider portion of the slot andof a width in excess of the width of the narrower portion of the slot,the braces at opposite sides of the chair base being mutually reversed,whereby the headed pin of one chair base will register with the keyholeslot of an adjacent chair base of like construction, and will have itskeyhole slot in registry with the headed pin of such adjacent chairbase, the headed pins and keyhole slots of the chair base providing forganging connection with other like chair bases.

l II I i

1. A chair base comprising a pair of leg elements comprising laterallyspaced legs respectively at opposite sides of the chair base andintegrally connected by top bars, the said elements and the legs thereofbeing inclined toward each other, means connecting the bars of saidelements, the legs at each side of the chair base being mutuallydivergent, braces connecting the divergent legs of the respectiveelements at the sides of the chair base, each such brace comprising alongitudinally elongated member having its ends attached to thedivergent legs of respective elements, each brace having between itssaid attached ends an intermediate portion offset laterally outwardlyfrom the chair base and provided with a horizontally elongated rib, theintermediate portion of the brace having adjacent one end of the saidrib an upright keyhole slot and at the other end of said rib, a pinprovided with a head receivable into the wider portion of the slot andof a width in excess of the width of the narrower portion of the slot,the braces at opposite sides of the chair base being mutually reversed,whereby the headed pin of one chair base will register with the keyholeslot of an adjacent chair base of like construction, and will have itskeyhole slot in registry with the headed pin of such adjacent chairbase, the headed pins and keyhole slots of the chair base providing forganging connection with other like chair bases.